The four planters removed from outside Crafty Devil Cellar, have been returned and now the Windsor Road bar wants to give back to Penarth.

Crafty Devil Cellar co-owner, Rhys Watkins, accused the Council of "stealing" the planters as part of a vendetta against his business.

He had spoken out against the Council's new charges for placing tables, chairs, advertising boards and products on the pavement, publicly labelling the timing of the fees "absolutely shocking" and is refusing to pay them until the Council engages in further dialogue with traders.

Now, Crafty Devil say they are celebrating a "small victory" as the planters were returned by the council.

"It's thanks to the community and ourselves putting pressure on the Council for their safe return," Rhys told Nub News.

"Unfortunately dialogue still does not exist and further over the top enforcement is being carried out across the Vale of Glamorgan.

"The Vale of Glamorgan Council have now agreed to meet with both Vaughan Gething MS and Jane Hutt MS to discuss the charges which we commend. The Federation of Small Businesses have also asked for a meeting between them and the traders which they are still awaiting a reply on.

"We still welcome an opportunity to join in positive dialogue with the Vale of Glamorgan Council to discuss issues like this and other concerns from small business."

Previously, the Vale of Glamorgan Council admitted they took the planters, just days before the Festival of Flowers began, because Mr Watkins' business did not have the appropriate highway trading licences for the planters, nor the tables and chairs also placed on the pavement.

Every attempt was made to encourage the business owner to apply for the necessary licence, a spokesperson for the council said at the time.

They also said that the planters could not be replaced in their previous location, having caused an accident involving a pedestrian with a sight impairment.

Elsewhere, Vic Hopkins Butchers in Barry has been forced to remove their iconic delivery bike from outside the shop, which was decorated with flowers and beloved by customers.

Crafty Devil has continued to not pay the license, unable to afford the cost while it recovers from the past year of closures and restrictions.

"You can only realistically use outdoor furniture until the end of September and with the weather this year, hardly at all," said Rhys.

"We again call on the Vale to discuss a fair, more proportion charging regime starting in April 2022.

"We could then consider brightening up the high street again and help create a continental cafe culture with our other independent neighbours."

Crafty Devil and other local traders have asked for a reprieve until March 2022, which they say is in line with the business rate holiday given by Welsh Government.

"We still stand by this and agree when businesses have recovered, they should contribute to local services," said Rhys.

"This would cost the Vale of Glamorgan circa £27,000, which we believe is a small cost to pay to save the high Street and is not worthy of the enforcement regime they have in place."

A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesperson said: "The Council has returned these planters to the business on the understanding that they are positioned along the front of the premises and do not protrude significantly onto the pavement. There they will benefit the street scene, whereas previously they had been used to mark out an outside trading area that was operating without a licence and had been responsible for an accident involving a pedestrian.

"The Council has offered a range of support to businesses during the pandemic, including safety advice to help them reopen. Traders have also previously been assisted when applying for outdoor space, with the usual fee for licences waived.

"With restrictions now all but lifted, the Council has introduced minimal charges for outside trading licenses to cover administration costs. These are comparable to or cheaper than those implemented by other Local Authorities. A charge to cover administration costs is not considered excessive when outdoor trading areas can generate significant extra revenue for businesses."

In the meantime, the team Crafty Devil want to thank residents for their continued support by donating the planters to a local organisation.

"The community have been fantastic to us, and we wanted to repay them by donating these planters to them.

"We have had some fantastic ideas from individuals on Facebook and are currently talking to the suggested organisations on if they would actually like them.

"The community is important to us both. Adam and I grew up in Dinas Powys and Penarth and always wanted to give something back.

"This is the first phase of this, with a very exciting initiative being planned for September onwards."